


Take Your Time

by bigirlgiggles



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: F/M, Married Life, They have a baby now, Tickling, and spot and race are raising romeo, kath is a nervous mom bc they worked so hard for that baby, mention of it, tickle fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 00:38:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20183362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigirlgiggles/pseuds/bigirlgiggles
Summary: this is a collab w a friend of mine! I love the idea of married life between jack and kath, and gladly take fic recs!





	Take Your Time

**Author's Note:**

> this is a collab w a friend of mine! I love the idea of married life between jack and kath, and gladly take fic recs!

“Do you think Spot got all the notes about feeding time or do you think I should give them call?” 

Jack was glad he had the keys still in his hand so Katherine didn’t get any ideas about heading back home that second. “Kathy, it’s fine. They got a baby too.” He looked around the hotel room and debated checking for bedbugs just to keep them both from going crazy. He was already itching at the thought, but it would give Katherine something else to worry about.

“I mean, I know they have Romeo to help out too but he’s only eighteen and I know he’s taking summer classes to get ahead of credits before he starts school so he’ll be just as busy as them.” Kath had just set her bags on the floor but seemed ready to grab them and throw them back in the car’s trunk without a moment’s hesitation.

“Doll, it’s okay. We both gotta rest and catch up on us. You said it yourself on the way here. Remember that? Ten minutes ago?” Jack came over and rested his hands on Katherine’s shoulders, kissing her forehead. The small cabin they had booked for a few days seemed oddly quiet without the eleven-month-old babbling and the news cycle on TV and the toys chirping at max volume. He took a moment to breathe and pull his wife closer, setting his chin on top of her head, stroking her back. Her arms stayed at her sides, but he didn’t pay it particular mind. They both had finished their weekend deadlines early, giving them a chance to be.

It had actually been Race’s idea (one of his few good ones involving the couple). Taking a trip to Barr Harbor just the two of them, Jack having negotiated with Katherine taking their trip up from being two days to four, wanting to take in the scenery surrounding them and some rare alone time with his wife before having to head back to the hustle and bustle and noise of New York City with an eleven month old in the apartment. Not that their relationship was strained by having a new baby or work or stress, but Jack missed his wife.

Tremendously. 

He made her breakfast in the morning and they ate dinner together every night after the babysitter left but even that time was spent worrying if little baby Beatrice was getting enough of the food into her mouth instead of spitting it up onto her chubby face and messy highchair. Katherine watched that baby’s every little move, and the fact that she was as wild as her father didn’t help ease her nerves.

“Mm, what should we do first?” The first thing Jack had on his mind ever since they pulled up was flopping facedown on the bed and not moving for a solid four hours. Kath looked like she would be contented to pace the floor until the weekend was over or she fell through the creaky boards. 

He tried again, “We can nap. Or we can go get something to eat?” He kissed her cheek before he walked to their suitcases and started to unpack. “We can check out the tub. I think it's got those fancy jets, too.” He rose his eyebrows as he laid the immaculately folded clothes out on the bed. “A nice bath will warm us both up, dontcha think, Kathy?”

“A nap sounds wonderful, love.” Katherine’s voice was softer than her usual tone. “I just can’t seem to turn off the bit of brain that’s screaming that we shouldn’t be here. I’m sorry.”

“I get it.” Jack nodded, moving back over to his wife and kissing her on the crown of her head. “You’re such a good mother. The best I’ve ever seen. Honest.” He cupped her face gently and looked at her in the eyes, “The best I’ve ever seen, Katherine.”

“It’s just...weird.” She bit her lip and moved away from his hands, sitting in an armchair by the brick fireplace. “What did we actually do before Bea outside of work? It feels like a lifetime ago.”

“Worked more.” Jack sat on the coffee table, ignoring the pointed look he gave her. “Walked around without clothes on. Tried for Bea.” he waggled his eyebrows at her, smiling at her playful eye roll.

“Are you suggesting we bring another Beatrice into this world, Jack Kelly?” She leaned forward, resting her chin on her palms. 

“I ain’t saying no…” Jack winked at her, leaning toward her.

“We had a lot of fun making her…” It had been nowhere near fun for most of the waiting. They had tried for months, scheduling weeks in advance and making notes on the calendar. Jack kept it fun, kept Katherine laughing and letting her know just how much he loved her and the tiny family they were trying to grow. She had never felt more beautiful. Their love had never felt stronger. The feeling she had the first time they had gone to the doctor’s office and it was true, and their little one stayed with them for all eight months (Beatrice arrived early, a small four pounds three ounces and the impatience of a true Kelly-Pulitzer child), Katherine was full of joy she never experienced before. She was the luckiest woman on earth, with a husband she loved, and a chubby-cheeked, curly firey haired baby with the same love in her eyes as her daddy.

“We could always have fun now.” Next thing Kath knew, Jack had her in his arms and over his shoulder, turning the room upside down.“Ain’t this fun, Kathy?”

“What are you doing!”Katherine tried not to react more than a gasp, she really did, but Jack’s hand behind her knee just pulled it out of her. Her hair swinging in her face and she was floored that after the bit of weight she gained during and after Bea that Jack could still pick her up like she was nothing at all.

“Put me  _ down! _ ”

“That’s no fun-ay!”Jack yelped as Katherine gently smacked him as he walked them to the bedroom, carefully walking through the doorway with her on his shoulders.

“What the hell are you doing, Kelly!”

“Having a good time with my wife, is that so wrong?” He reached behind her knee again and squeezed, making her squeal. She squirmed in his grasp and he let her wriggle out of his arms and onto the bed, fighting back her giggles as she pulled her hair from her face.

“Aww...somethin’ wrong, Kathy?”

She crossed her arms and mock-pouted, sticking out her lower lip. “You messed up my hair and wrinkled my dress.”

“I thought you said you wanted to have fun, baby.” Jack noted the way her face fell for a split second because of course, the pet name would remind her that their child was at her Uncle Spot and Uncle Race’s house and in fact not cuddled up with them, tugging mommy’s hair or scooting around on her diapered bottom as daddy chased her. “Come here.”

“Why?”

“You writing a piece on husbands?” He tilted his head, raising his eyebrows slightly. “Just c’mere, would ya.”

Katherine didn’t move and Jack crawled toward her on the bed, crawling over her body until he was face to face with her, supporting himself on his elbows. “I love ya. You know that?”

Katherine pursed her lips and looked past him at the ceiling. “I would hope so. We took vows. To have and to hold, til death do us part and all that.”

“Brat.” He punctuated his statement with a gentle kiss on her cheek.

“Excuse me?” She rose her eyebrows at him before narrowing her eyes.

“Did I stutter, Kathy?”

“Did you just call me a  _ brat,  _ Jack Kelly?”

“I meant it, too, Katherine Kelly.”Jack kissed her cheek again, his lips lingering before he kissed his way to her ear, pressing his lips against them and talking, “Haven’t heard that one in a while, have you?”

He could see her trying her best not to smile, especially as he nipped that sensitive spot of hers right below her jawline. 

“Brat.” He repeated.

“Shush.” 

“You know what I do to brats?” Kath moved in an attempt to turn them over so she could take control, but Jack was way ahead of her hooking his arm around her waist and pulling her close as she giggled and swatted at him half-heartedly.

“I eat ‘em.” He put his lips to her neck again, blowing hard and wet. The sound echoed off the walls, mixing with Katherine’s shriek of laughter as she arched her back best she could. It had been ages since they had been so silly together, and as she tried to crawl away, she realized that maybe she didn’t really want to escape Jack after all.

“Not so fast, ma’am.” Jack flipped her over on her back again, straddling her legs and smirking down at her in that wicked way that still made her blush after all these years. He lifted up the hem of her shirt and pounced on her exposed belly, nipping and blowing and rubbing his stubble across her skin. He smiled against her skin, winking his eye shut in pretend pain as she playfully smacked at his head. “Keep it up, Kitty, and I’ll get you really gigglin.”

“What on earth do you call this, Jack?”Katherine tried to pull herself up, letting out a loud peal of laughter as Jack renewed nibbling on her skin. After Bea, it was another simple joy just knowing he still found the soft parts of her as beautiful as ever.

“Mmm-mm.”Jack hummed, his pink lips soft against her pale skin. Katherine reached up and stroked the side of his face, cupping it against her hand. He leaned into her touch, not at all expecting a sneak attack on his ribs. Kath had reached up with her other hand while he was distracted and dug into that spot just below his armpits where she knew he was most ticklish and decided now was a better time than ever to declare a perfectly mature tickle war on her husband. 

“Kathy!” He jerked back, almost falling off the bed. She giggled and wriggled her fingers at him, showing off her nails as she inched closer. Jack loved it even more than she did thankful that the giddy mood had gotten to her, making her eyes light up and blush deepen. How many times had she and Jack rolled around in bed poking at each other and laughing until they cried? It was one of their favorite ways to be intimate, just the two of them. Jack had often joked that they would tell Bea she came from a slightly tipsy tickle fight. Katherine shut that idea down consistently with a quick, “ _ she doesn’t need to know how she was conceived _ !”

The countless hours spent at Katherine’s OB/GYN, Jack’s urologist and their joint fertility doctor led to Bea. Luck, timed intimacy, nights watching Katherine pray in her study, endless white-capped orange bottles of pills, tiny glass hormone jars and an immense amount of longing and will brought baby Bea into the world. Four separate nights holding Katherine as her body rejected a new budding life, one miniature casket and finally, they had their bundle of joy. It turned into her almost never wanting to leave Bea for more than a few hours, scared of something or someone snatching her away. 

Having finally been satisfied by Jack’s giggling as he awaited his imminent tickle victimhood, Katherine attacked her favorite spot on her husband, nails lightly scribbling at his toned stomach.She figured it was time he shared in her giddiness, pinching up and down his sides as he went limp against her, already weakened from laughing. Jack loved it even more than she did and his laugh one of the things that still managed to give her butterflies.

“So cruel, Kathy!” He gasped, using his wife’s merciful break to catch his breath.

“Oh it’s not that bad.”

“You’re killin’ me!”

“I haven’t even gotten your worst spot yet.” She giggled as his eyes widened in horror, her hands slipping down his torso and stopping just below his waistband.

“You wouldn’t.” 

And it was too late.

In a long-ago attempt to be sexy, Katherine had caressed Jack’s happy trail, which resulted in him screeching and nearly kicking her as she discovered her new favorite way to torment her husband. She began gently scratching at the soft hair on his stomach, leaning down to lightly nip at his neck as he tossed his head back and let out her favorite booming laughs. 

“Arent you sweet!”Katerine cooed with her lips against Jack’s ear. “You dont have much to say, now do you, Jackie?”

Jack would have rolled his eyes at the nickname if he weren't so busy trying to catch her dainty hands in his much bigger ones. He crossed his arms over his stomach in a lame attempt to keep her from getting at him, only allowing her to poke at the uncovered space of his ribs.

“No!”

“You love it. You don’t want me to stop, do you?” She giggled as he squirmed. He could get away so easily if he wasn’t having the time of his life right now. His cheeks were red and his clothes hopelessly rumpled. Katherine hadn’t seen him laugh like this in months. It was the laugh that had gotten her falling in love in the first place. She missed his laugh, and feeling so carefree about him.

Jack had caught her by surprise, Katherine yelling out when he flipped them so she was on her back. With a high pitched yelp, Katherine attempted to wriggle away from someone who knew all her tricks the best she could, but Jack pulled her tightly against him, wrapped in his arms. They both stilled for a moment, green eyes meeting soft brown ones.

“Mrs. Kelly.”

“Brat.”

“So you’ve decided to stick around.”

Katherine pecked his lips with a quick kiss. “Something’s in particular’s got me stuck here.”

“Oh,”Jack kissed her again, letting his lips linger close to hers. “Whatever shall we do.” He started his path of kisses again, and Katherine was giggling before the raspberry was even blown wetly against her collarbone.

“That’s so  _ gross, _ Jack!”

“Oh, where are my manners? I guess I’ll have to use my hands instead.” 

Katherine eventually stopped fighting back and gave into her laughter, throwing her head back against the bed. She didn’t worry about the noise they were making or that her makeup was starting to run lightly or Jack was teasing her about her snort-laugh. 

She felt him laugh against her as she tried to hide her own joy, a weak attempt to bump him off only earning her another series of quick bursts against her freckled chest.

“I’m getting too old for this.”

“You’re the one who made my abs hurt, miss.” Jack admitted, flopping beside her and kissing her cheek. “And I don’t use that term loosely.”

“My favorite abs in the whole world.” Katherine hummed, looking at her husband with a look of love that could melt Jack right there. He leaned over and kissed her again,Katherine pulling back when he attempted to deepen the kiss. “Jack-love, wait a second.”

Jack groaned, flopping back onto the bed and tossing his arm over his eyes. “If you’re back on your needing to shower before we get to gettin busy busness, I’ll tell you now Kathy it’s a waste of water-”

“I feel sexiest fresh after a shower- “ She shook her head as if to clear it from distraction. “t’s not that.”

“What is it, sugar?” Jack looked fully at her now, and the same Katherine that stood toe to toe with him during the strike wanted to curl up into a ball in front of her husband and simply combust.

His voice was soft. “Baby?”

“Yeah, I’m scared to.” Hers was as well.

“Scared to what, Kathy?” Jack carefully linked their pinkies, accepting her when she moved into his arms, tucking her face his neck. “What’s eating at you, Kathy? It’s just you and me.”

“Oh,Jack.” She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself from just losing it right there. “I’m scared for Bea!”

“Why are you scared for Bea, angel?” He rubbed her back in big circles, his hand comfortingly heavy against her. “You know she’s with Spot and Race and ain’t nothing going to go wrong with them.”

“I’m scared for her not having a mother!”

“Doll, it’s ok. We’ll be back before she knows it.” Jack leaned close and kissed her temple, running his hand through her hair. “What’s really wrong, Katherine?”

“I just thought this would be good for us. I can focus on you and we’ll come back being even better versions of ourselves for her. We can’t be the best parents we can be if we’re stressing out, baby. You need a break.” Katherine didn’t say anything, but her posture softened, leaning into Jack’s touch. 

Katherine mumbled into his chest and Jack leaned back. “Say again, sweets?”

“I said,” She wiped her smudged mascara on her hands. “Do you want another? Another baby, I mean. I know this trip is for the two of us and things that include exclusively the two of us and a bottle of wine would usually include an attempt at a baby and nine months later-”

“When you’re ready, I’m ready.” Jack pressed a long kiss to her forehead. “We just had bunny, she’s a handful herself.” Jack smiled as Katherine let out a short laugh. “We don’t gotta rush into having a second.”

Katherine nodded, placing her hand over her stomach. “We can try again later, though, right?”

“Of course, sugar.” Jack cupped her face again. “I’d try a thousand more times with you.”

“Well, don’t say it like it’s such a task, Jack.” Katherine teased, leaning in for a kiss. Their lips met, Jack grinning into the kiss much to Katherine’s delight.

“Come on, impossible boy.” Katherine silenced his interjection with a peck. “Let’s go try out that fancy tub you were talking about.”

“Did you bring some of that fancy soap?” Jack hopped off of the bed, already stripping his clothing on the way to the bathroom.

“Of course I did. Vanilla honey.” She hummed, picking out the brown bottle from her carryon suitcase and following him into the large bathroom. “Maybe this will help soften those god awful calluses on your feet.”

**Author's Note:**

> hit me up on tumblr bigirlgiggles.tumblr.com


End file.
